Ozark Exotics

09/06/2026

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see us at the Show Me Reptile Show in Troy yesterday! 🐢💚

We truly appreciate everyone who stopped by to talk turtles and tortoises, say hello, and especially those who brought home a new shelled family member. Thank you for trusting Ozark Exotics! 🙏

A special thank you to the entire Show Me Reptile Show crew for all the work that goes into promoting and putting together another great event. We’re always grateful to be a part of it!

And we’re not slowing down! 🚐🐢 Catch Ozark Exotics at TWO Show Me Reptile Shows next weekend:

📍 Farmington, MO — Saturday 9/12
📍 Bridgeton, MO — Sunday 9/13

We hope to see you there! 💚

09/01/2026

😛🐢 Tongue Out Tuesday!

Caught this little sulcata mid-bite — because apparently table manners are optional when the greens are this good. 🌿😂

Now let’s see yours! 👇 Drop your best turtle or tortoise tongue photo in the comments. 😛📸

09/01/2026

☀️🐢 Soaking up every last bit of summer.

September is here, the days are getting shorter, and fall is right around the corner. Our redfoots seem to know it too — spending these warm, sunny days grazing, exploring, and catching as much sunshine as they can before cooler weather means moving indoors for the winter. 🍂

For now, we’ll enjoy every warm day we get. 🌿☀️🐢

09/01/2026

She knows “I have an idea” means the yard is about to get a little smaller. 😂🐢🌿 Who can relate??

08/31/2026

We’ll be there! 🐢 Come see Ozark Exotics at the Show Me Reptile Show in Troy, MO this Saturday, September 5! Stop by, say hello, and check out what we’re bringing with us! 👀🐢🔥

Discover the ultimate reptile experience at the Show Me Reptile Show! Explore top reptile expos and events nationwide, featuring live reptiles, expert breeders, unique vendors, and educational demonstrations. Perfect for reptile enthusiasts and families alike. Join us for an unforgettable adventure!

08/31/2026

🐢🌴 Bold colors. Smooth shells. Big personalities.

These very well-started baby redfoot tortoises are growing beautifully, with vibrant coloration and the smooth, healthy shells we love to see. ❤️💛

But their personalities might be our favorite part. Redfoots are curious, intelligent, outgoing tortoises that quickly learn their routines and become remarkably comfortable around people. They genuinely seem to enjoy interacting with their humans—and anyone who has spent much time with a redfoot knows exactly what we mean. 🐢❤️

These little ones are thriving and ready to begin their next chapter in new homes. 🌿🏡

08/31/2026

Nothing says “box turtle” quite like emerging from the mud looking completely unbothered. 😂🐢

A little dirt never hurt anybody… especially when digging, burrowing, and getting absolutely filthy are all part of the job.💚

08/30/2026

🐢 Ever notice something “extra” on a tortoise’s shell?

Take a close look at this Redfoot tortoise’s carapace. Among the normally arranged scutes is an additional one — what’s known as a supernumerary scute.

A tortoise’s scutes are the keratin-covered plates that form the visible pattern of the shell. Their arrangement is established while the tortoise is still developing inside the egg. Occasionally, that developmental pattern is altered, resulting in an extra, missing, divided, or unusually shaped scute.

So what causes it? There isn’t necessarily one answer. Research suggests that incubation conditions — particularly temperature and moisture during critical stages of embryonic development — can influence scute patterning. Genetics and normal developmental variation may contribute as well. Interestingly, studies have produced somewhat different results, which is why an extra scute shouldn’t automatically be blamed on a specific incubation mistake.

The important part: an isolated extra scute is generally cosmetic. It is present from hatching and, when the tortoise is otherwise normally developed and healthy, typically doesn’t require treatment or interfere with normal life.

Think of it as a little variation in the blueprint — one that makes this tortoise’s shell uniquely its own. 🐢🧬